The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-05-29

Eyes, and be dashed to pieces on the
rocks beneath This is not good boat
ing river. There is stretch of mile or
so above this where small craft can go, and
few of the gentlemen who own these
houses keep pleasure boats. But above
that the channel is too narrow, and belo
it is dangerous.
1T don't seem very good place for the
kids" unused jim
For the children, James
For the children. If you bad 'em out
on the prairie they'd be safer"
"Why," exclaimed Miss Alien, 81 would
not trust myself on the prairie, TO say
nothing of the children. They say there
are rattlesuakes there"
Yes" admitted jim, 'fhere is soRe
rattlesnakes. But it's safer thansthis,
think"
While these two had been work ng and
talking, something had happened that, be-
yond all question, never should have hap
pened at all. The children knew better
than to get into any boat witho 1t permits
sion, and in this case they knew, too, that
they were meddliog with private property.
Nevertheless, when a party of little
boys and girls, wandering up the bank,
came upon a beautiful green and white
boat snugly hidden in a tiny cove where
no boat had eyer been before, then all the
trouble 5egan.
First they stopped to examine and ad
miro; and then Two little boys jumped in
and began to rock from side 10 side, and
TO tell how they dared ride away down to
the mill dam in her; and nexs two little
girls thought they would get in too, if the
boys would rock; and The boys promised,
with a sarcastic side speech about girls
'Ssnd 'fraid-cats; and soon all four were
seated on the pretty green and white
benches
Then, in some way, the boat got adrft
Perhaps the boat was only drawn upon the
sand, and the rocking pushed it off. Per
haps some mischeyious boy united the
rope. AT all events, it was caught by the
current and began to glide down the
treacherous stream.
When Miss Allen beard the screams and
looked from the frantic group on the
shore to the tiny boat out on the river, her
very heat seemed to stand still. To stay
so near, and safe and well, yet utterly
powerless, while those children in her care
sped on to death Her senses swan.
The sunny sparkles on the river shone
in her eyes like electric flashes. She seem
ed to see, already, .the little faces cold and
dead, and the limbs all crushed and
mangled, and she heard the reproachful
cries of their parents.
And Jim-who might,a least, have run
swiftly and given the alarm-what was
Jim doing?
Nothing.
Or next to nothing; so it seemed.
He did not even rise at first. One glance
up the river with his keen blue eyes, and
ho of hic In
making d loop of one end. He did not
| seem to hurry, but he wasted no motion
Holding the loop in his right hand while
| the coils still hung upon his left arm, he
| waded through the shallow shore wa.er TO
the deeper channel. His quick glance
seemedto take in everything, the current,
the river bottom, and the banks. Even
! the light wind from the west was tested
| an instant with his upheld hand. There
was no hurry, 20 fiutter, but evory nerve
| was awake, and every muscle true to call.
The boat was moving faster now. She
! quivered and thrilled with the strong and
dangerous current. She had floated past.
No! Look Wlh one supple motion,
Jim has tbrown bis loop. 1t speeds
through the air like live thing, and falls,
! lrde to aim, just where the fright sned
children can grasp it best. Quick as
thought Jim moves with the boat, manag-
ing the rope so that 1t shall not tighten 100
soon Above the medley of sounds rises
| his clear, ringing voice and they hear and
obey his rapid direcioas.
Pass the rope the long way Of the boat
| Every oae take holdl Now-hold fastl''
They do hold fast Eight little hands,
with the strength of desperation, clutch
the rope. With long, steady, even pull,
Jim heads the boat for the shore, and
| grounds it on the shadows.
| Here my story might end, if Jim had
| known how to wade in pebbly bottom
river. But as he laid hold of the PROV,
and pulled with all his strength to draw
it further up; his foot slipped among the
smooth, water-worn stones, and he fell
heavily, aud struck his head upon sharp
rock. And when, at last, some men came
running to help, they found the children
safe on shore, but Jim lay senseless in
the shallow, while Miss Allen, with her
pretty dress all s. aked and clingipg, held
his head out of the water
Of course, Jim was the hero of the dav,
He professed great chagrin because he
was fool enough to hurt himself, but
he was no less hero because he spent a
few days in sick-room.
Then the fathers of the rescued child
rem met in solemn concave to decide
what they should do for Jim. There was
talk of a substitution and presentation,
but good sense and good taste prevailed,
and they decided to offer him nothing
except their heartfelt thanks but to keep
the boy in sight, and when the time came,
to do him substantial service
think that when Jim gets ready to
settle on his claim, he will have as liberal
personal outfit as any young sod
pelter" need desire.
But the mothers could not wait so long
before they testified their gratitude, and
Jim declares that before he left his room
he had dressing gowns and slippers
enuogh to fit out ali the Boston dudes
east of the Mississippi. Long before the
doctor had thought it possible, Jim was